Top 5 Head Coaching Candidates for the Oklahoma State Cowboys

5. Stephen Gentry - Gonzaga (Associate Head Coach)

If Oklahoma State does not hire an active sitting head coach, the best bet might be Stephen Gentry. He is the Director of Basketball Operations at Gonzaga and was an assistant coach at Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Stephen F. Austin under Brad Underwood. Gentry has spent the past seven seasons working with Mark Few in Spokane. Gentry is only 41 years old and already has a wealth of experience, plus connections to Stillwater. The only issue is the lack of actual head coaching experience.

2. Bryce Drew - Grand Canyon Antelopes

Bryce Drew was an NCAA Tournament hero as a player at Valparaiso before becoming a head coach. He led Vanderbilt to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016-2017 and has since become the head coach for the Grand Canyon Antelopes. Now in his fourth season at Grand Canyon, Drew has led them to the NCAA Tournament in three campaigns, and they won the Western Athletic Conference Tournament with a record-setting campaign for the school. Bryce is 49 years old and the brother of Baylor head coach Scott Drew.

3. Paul Mills - Wichita State Shockers

Paul Mills would have made a lot more sense for Oklahoma State 12 months ago. Instead, Oklahoma State kept Mike Boynton for one more season, and instead of leaving Oral Roberts for Oklahoma State, Mills was hired by Wichita State to rescue the Shockers program. Mills had been at Oral Roberts (in Oklahoma) for six seasons and led the Golden Eagles to two NCAA Tournaments, finishing in the top five in the Summit League each of his six seasons. Unfortunately, Wichita State struggled in his first season there, which could be a barrier to hiring him in Stillwater.

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4. Danny Sprinkle - Utah State

Danny Sprinkle will coach in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. In 2022 and 2023, Sprinkle led the Montana State Bobcats from the Big Sky Conference to the Big Dance. He then became the head coach for the Utah State Aggies and led them to a 27-6 record and the Mountain West Conference regular season title. Sprinkle is only 47 years old and has a proven record of success. He is originally from Pullman, Washington, and played at Montana State, so Oklahoma State would be the furthest south that Sprinkle would have spent time in, but there is little question that he is destined for a big job very soon.

5. Stephen Gentry - Gonzaga (Associate Head Coach)

If Oklahoma State does not hire an active sitting head coach, the best bet might be Stephen Gentry. He is the Director of Basketball Operations at Gonzaga and was an assistant coach at Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Stephen F. Austin under Brad Underwood. Gentry has spent the past seven seasons working with Mark Few in Spokane. Gentry is only 41 years old and already has a wealth of experience, plus connections to Stillwater. The only issue is the lack of actual head coaching experience.